Pacific Crest Youth Arts Organization is a non-profit youth group dedicated to providing artistic performance opportunities for young people through the Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps, a Drum Corps International World Class competitor.

Archives for February 2017

Michelle Ho joined Pacific Crest 2016. The 2017 season will be her second season as a mellophone player.

Tell us about your background and family.
My hometown is Redondo Beach, California, but I was born in Harbor City, California. I have one older sister named Jennifer.

What brought you to Pacific Crest?
I joined Pacific Crest because I had been interested in drum corps for a couple of years, and Pacific Crest was one of the closest drum corps near me. I learned about PC when one of the upperclassmen in my band marched here.

How did the Pacific Crest experience impact your life?
I have learned the power of having so many people unified toward one goal. Some days during tour I wanted nothing more than to sleep the day away, but the daily goal of musical excellence kept me going and I ended up having the greatest summer of my life. I met some amazing friends and extraordinary staff along the way. My life changed dramatically because now I know that there is a music path for me after high school. The best parts of the experience were the bonds I created with new friends and the amazing staff, who taught me so much, in the span of a couple of months.

How do you think Pacific Crest will affect your future goals and plans?
Through perseverance and hard work, a goal shared by many people can be met. I plan to spend many summers performing drum corps, touring the country, visiting too many states and towns to keep track of, and practicing in sweltering heat.

Is there anything else you want to say about yourself, your life, the people who have most influenced and inspired you?
My journey to Pacific Crest would not have been possible if not for my friends and family who supported me through out the entire process of auditioning and completing my first tour.

Is there something you’d like others to know about Pacific Crest?
Fantastic staff, friends, and food (eternal thanks to K-Crew for keeping us well fed) can all be found at Pacific Crest. If you don’t think you’ll make it, try out anyway. I know I felt exactly the same way when I tried out, and here I am, writing a Performer Profile and going into my second year at Pacific Crest. If you don’t try out for Pacific Crest, try out somewhere else. As the cliche goes, “Nothing ventured nothing gained”. You may be surprised on where it gets you.

Kay Bratton already had several years of drum corps volunteer experience prior to joining the Pacific Crest support staff. Though her daughter aged out of Pacific Crest in 2016, Kay plans to return for the 2017 season.

“I’ll be perfectly honest, when my first child started marching drum corps, I wanted to volunteer to make sure the members in his corps were being taken care of properly – eating well and being cared for. I found a group of enthusiastic and capable people who were working towards a common goal: Taking care of our kids.

There were new parents like myself as well as veteran volunteers who had been doing the job for several years. Some had children in the corps and others came back each year because they loved the activity so much. My time was spent on the food truck (with occasional uniform duty), and there were wonderful veteran volunteers that helped me learn what to do. I had no idea how to fix a meal for 200 people (four times a day)! Once I got the hang of it, I kept coming back!

My first summer I volunteered for 10-days; my second summer was a month. The last three summers I have been able to do the whole summer. It is really gratifying to see the members everyday and hear their “Thank You” every time they go through the food line. (And you do get a glimpse of your own child every once in a while.)

It is also very exciting to watch a show come together and see how hard these young people work to achieve their goals – not to mention getting into the shows for free!

In 2016, my daughter moved to Pacific Crest for her age-out season. I followed her as a volunteer, and I have to say, PC really takes care of their volunteers! It is hard work, but never did I feel unappreciated.

Even though my daughter aged out, I am planning to come back this summer and volunteer again. I have made life-long friends through this activity and I encourage anyone who is considering it to give it a try. You won’t be sorry!”

For more information about volunteering for Pacific Crest, click here.

Our Corporate Sponsors

Join Our Mailing List

Sign Up

Email:

Connect with Pacific Crest

Pacific Crest is funded, in-part, by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. Thank You!

About Pacific Crest

Pacific Crest is one of North America’s most-respected performing arts organizations, serving more than 3,000 youth each year. We are Southern California’s only Drum Corps International (DCI) World Class Drum and Bugle Corps and represent SoCal at the DCI World Championships annually.